SHIKARPUR, July 30: Sindh Minister for Local Bodies Agha Siraj Durrani has said he has advised President Asif Ali Zardari that local bodies’ elections should be held in the province before general elections.

He said the president had asked the Sindh government and PPP’s provincial leadership to decide about changes in the local government system before Eidul Azha so that the schedule for the local bodies elections could be worked out.

Addressing a gathering of police personnel at police headquarters here on Monday, he said that in both the elections PPP would once again emerge as a majority party and form the government in Sindh.

He criticised PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s statements against PPP and the coalition government and said Mr Sharif had no support in Sindh and those who joined him had been rejected by people of Sindh in the past.

He congratulated 45 policemen including ASI, head constables and constables on their promotions and urged them to realise their responsibility to maintain law and order in their areas.

The minister said the government was committed to protecting the life, honour and property of people and police had to play the main role in this regard.

He said that he would request Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to provide an armoured personnel carrier and other necessary equipment to Shikarpur police.